SMITHVILLE, Texas -- A Smithville Independent School District teacher allegedly stole cheerleading funds from the middle school, and now, she is in the Bastrop County Jail charged with theft -- a state jail felony.
According to Smithville Police Chief David Retka, the department arrested Alicia Turnley, who has taught at Smithville Middle School for over 10 years, on May 18 after they received a complaint from the school district. Police said Turnley is a person who has access to the funds, and she's accused of taking at least $2,500.
Turnley resigned from her position earlier this week, according to Smithville ISD Superintendent Cheryl Burns.
Retka said Turnley admitted to police she took the money after being read her rights.
KVUE spoke to parents who had kids in the cheer program. They said they're furious about what happened and there were red flags. One parent told KVUE there were instances where they were asked to pay $100 for an item and found out later it only cost $40.
The school district is working with the police department to conduct an audit to determine how much money is missing. Based on the results of the audit, Turnley's charges could be upgraded, police said.
Smithville ISD posted the following statement on their website May 25:
Smithville ISD is working closely with the Smithville Police Department during the investigation involving a former school district employee. At this time a full and thorough internal audit is being conducted by the district. We consider this to be a serious matter and are giving it our utmost attention.